Lots of graffiti everywhere here----this was one of the most colorful and probably one without bad words!!!  Hopefully!<br /><div style="text-align:center;margin:0 auto 10px;"><a href="http://bachiles.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/p1040965.jpg"><img src="http://bachiles.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/p1040965.jpg?w=300" alt="" border="0" /></a> </div>We walked lots of narrow little paths and didn't even get lost!!!  I have the best guide in the world!  Thank goodness he was a boy scout!<br /><div style="text-align:center;margin:0 auto 10px;"><a href="http://bachiles.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/p1040968.jpg"><img src="http://bachiles.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/p1040968.jpg?w=300" alt="" border="0" /></a> </div>                                                                                            Gondola repair shop!<br /><div style="text-align:center;margin:0 auto 10px;"><a href="http://bachiles.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/p1040975.jpg"><img src="http://bachiles.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/p1040975.jpg?w=300" alt="" border="0" /></a> </div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">This is the view from our hotel.  We had quite a fun day today!!!  Thanks to my fabulous husband who is making this the trip of a lifetime!  The Hilton has a complimentary water taxi so we took it to San Marco which is right across the water from us but too far to swim!!!   Once we got there we headed for the Piazza San Marco which was pretty amazing.   Everywhere we go there are renovations and restorations going on and I can not even begin to imgine how difficult it must be to get all the materials shuttled around by boats.  We actually saw a boat with probably 1o cement mixers loaded on it!!!  Incredible.   What we take for granted!!!</span></span><div style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;">We found a place on the Piazza for breakfast and just sat there and enjoyed our croissants and cappacino and watched people.   We saw an EF tour group there and it made me think of Micah and the EF tours he went on!!!   There were tons of people there and it was pretty amazing to watch everyone.   We took a lot of pictures and then were able to go into the Bascilica di San Marco and it was incredible.  It really brought tears to my eyes.  I obeyed the signs to take no pictures though many did not.  I felt such a feeling of awe and respect and how you could walk in there and not feel God's presence is beyond me.   There was a small area off to one side for prayer and the priest was giving communion.  Amazing experience to witness.  </span></div><div style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">We walked and walked and walked and just enjoyed doing the back alley tours and not being a part of the masses.  The best way to do things if you can.  We got a water taxi and took the entire ride down the Grand Canal and then walked some more to get to our shuttle back to the hotel.  I think we will go back over tonight and get dinner someplace----the hotel here is very expensive and we would rather go and eat at one of the neat little restaurants that we saw.  So far we have not bought a thing except transportation but we have lots of pictures to remember the trip by!!!</span></span>   </div><div style="clear:both;text-align:center;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" alt="Posted by Picasa" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div>